Rival factions battle for control of Kenyan Tchoukball federation

The wrangles come just a week after Kenya failed to feature at the African Tchoukball Championships despite having qualified for the tournament, raising fresh concerns over the federation's governance and the impact of the standoff on athletes.

At the centre of the dispute are two rival camps: one led by the federation's founder and former president, Kennedy Miruka, and the other headed by Secretary General Keziah Odero.

Both sides insist they are the legitimate office bearers and have rejected accusations that they are occupying office unlawfully.

Speaking during a recent press briefing, Miruka questioned the legitimacy of the federation elections held in March 2026, saying his team was neither informed nor involved in the process.

"We did not know about the election. We only learnt about it on TV. We were preparing to hold federation elections in July 2027, not March 2026. None of the existing officials knew about or participated in those elections, so we were surprised to see certain people elected as federation officials," said Miruka.

Miruka also challenged the Sports Disputes Tribunal's ruling that favoured the rival faction, revealing that his team has moved to the High Court to seek a judicial review of the decision.

"We went to the High Court for a review of the decision, which I found to be ridiculous. If the judgment had been fair, I would not have sought a judicial review. What they did was simply endorse an unlawful takeover of the federation, and that is why we are still fighting so that justice is served to tchoukball athletes. The matter will be mentioned in court on September 21," he said.

The former president urged stakeholders to support what he described as a transparent and inclusive electoral process, adding that he remains open to working with the rival faction.

"As far as I am aware, elections are yet to be conducted. We want federation members to be allowed to participate in an election that gives everyone a fair and independent opportunity to elect their leaders," he added.

However, Odero dismissed claims of a leadership crisis, maintaining that the federation conducted elections in accordance with the Sports Act and that the dispute stems from Miruka's failure to participate.

"There are no wrangles within our federation. We conducted elections as required by the Sports Act. The only issue is that they are being disputed by the federation chairman, who did not participate in the election," said Odero.

According to Odero, the elections held on March 7, 2026, complied with the law and were conducted within the timelines required after the federation's registration.

"Both Mr Miruka and I served in interim offices before elections were held. Under the Sports Act, elections must be conducted within 90 days after a federation is registered. We registered the federation in 2024, and the elections complied with the legal requirements," she said.

Odero also attributed Kenya's failure to participate in the African Championships to delays in securing government funding, alleging that Miruka contributed to the setback.

"Our participation was delayed by the approval of the budget at the ministry. We had already selected the team, but the delay that caused us to miss our travel to Tunisia was caused by the same 'President', who was responsible," she claimed.

With both factions standing their ground and the dispute now before the High Court, the future leadership of the Kenya Tchoukball Federation remains uncertain. Attention now turns to the court mention scheduled for September 21, a case that could determine the federation's leadership and shape the sport's future in Kenya.